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Sunday, April 13, 2014

The last shot by Michael Adams

The last shot is the sequel to The last girl so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the first book in this trilogy. This is one of those series where it really pays to read the books in order so if you have not already read The last girl then stop reading this review now and read the book first.It seems as though Christmas was years ago, not only a few days because so much has happened on the emotional rollercoaster that has become Danby's life. She has left Nathan and Jack behind to find her mother and a desperate hope for some connection with someone she loves and who loves her - but what she finds instead is a corpse that she was too late to save. A quick check of the other residents tells her she was too late to save any of them, and the person to blame appears to be Jack and his Minions. Unable to put off returning to Jack forever Danby comes up with a plan to save her brother Evan and all the other Minions caught in Jack's web of lies and control. On the way back to what has become civilisation Danby builds her resolve to deal with Jack and what she believes he has done, but when she meets him ago she is in for a shock. He no longer appears to be the dark and twisted soul she thought he was, he has made huge in roads into saving what is left of humanity and some of Danby's ideas appear to have been abruptly dropped on their heads. Jack no longer appears to be a monster and some of his ideas really seem to make sense. Then he drops the biggest bombshell of all - Nathan has been in hiding since Danby left but he appears to be leading attacks against convoys trying to collect medical supplies for the survivors. Everything has been turned inside out and twisted, but things are not what they appear and Danby needs to figure things out fast.The last shot is the second book in an exciting trilogy that has you wondering what will happen next as you discover a new world (and a new threat) through Danby's eyes. This is a post apocalypse story with a difference - this is a story that has not been told before, there are no aliens, no apparent virus, no rising up of the machines, it is in fact unexplained about what happens we just get to see the fallout. Danby is an interesting character to observe the world with, she is not perfect and her moral compass makes a few interesting twists and turns as she deals with a world that is no longer safe or consistent. It is an emotional rollercoaster and she has to deal with plenty of loss and difficult decisions.Adams continues to keep up the fast pace of the action but also keeps up the intense psychological aspects of the novel as the world is twisted and warped by a mind that seems completely in control (though more than a little unhinged). You never know quite where the story is going to go next and while I almost didn't read the story to the end because it seemed to flounder a little bit in the first part I am glad I finished because now I really want to know what happens next because of the big bombshell dropped at the end.This is not a light and fluffy post apocalypse novel where boy meet girl, they face a threat and then live happily ever after - this is a meaty storyline with plenty of challenges and no guarantees that anyone is going to make it out alive. The cast of The last shot is bigger than The last girl and you get a sense of a bigger world and bigger plans - which just makes the story that much better. There is a lot to like here, and I hope that Adams can deliver on the promise he made in The last girl and The last shot and that The last place closes the series with a bang rather than a whimper. If you like this book then try: